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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — humankind
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kid — child
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com